First off, there is NO SHAME in using C & C thread. It is all I use for piecing and sometimes FMQ. My great aunt who was my quilting inspiration only used C & C and I am sure that she made more than 1,000 quilts in her 93 years. My mother used it when she sewed clothes for me, my 2 sisters and 3 nieces.
Secondly, yes, you could have gotten a bad spool of thread. Often it is the result of how the thread has been stored before hitting the sales floor. I would take the spool back to where you purchased it and ask for a replacement or a refund.